Chali 2na of Jurassic 5 revels in the moment. Photo: David Hall, for the Register

Among a slew of Day 1 acts that ultimately reflected a somewhat odd and overall questionable collective strength on Friday in Indio, one at least stood out as an unassailable all-in party: Jurassic 5 at the Outdoor Theatre.

After a seven-year hiatus of its original lineup formed in 1993 – DJs Cut Chemist and Nu-Mark backing MCs Chali 2na, Zaakir, Akil and Mark 7even – there was an undeniable hunger for the return of this classic hip-hop act. The attending mob of gleefully grooving and singing fans far outnumbered throngs for Blur and Stone Roses during main stage closing sets.

Moving with the ease and swagger of a seasoned soul ensemble, the group appeared equally swept up in the buzz. Across a solid 60 minutes, J5 flawlessly delivered nearly two dozen career-spanning tunes, including old-school faves like “Jayou” and “Concrete Schoolyard,” catalogue staples like “Quality Control” and their most famous, made-for-the-club cut, “What’s Golden,” to close.

Sure, Dre and Snoop, Jay-Z and Kanye each delivered rap spectacles of unforgettable proportions on the Coachella stage in previous years, but more so than those of the past, this set – which likewise could’ve easily commanded an enormous turnout on the main stage – was a testament to the power of meat-and-potatoes hip-hop elements.

Case in point: the elated crowd reaction when Nu-Mark and Cut took the spotlight for their solo, DJ battle segment, which saw them dropping jaws across the field as they blazed through complex beat and scratch segments on wacky handheld turntables and MPCs. And to top it off: you see that center-stage giant prop turntable with the enormous J5 vinyl mounted on it? Yeah … wasn’t a prop after all. The two mix masters drew a cacophonous round of cheers for their final scratch session on that behemoth record.

Just a few minutes later under the eaves of the Gobi tent, the Coachella debut of Odd Future’s Earl Sweatshirt – perhaps the group’s most fearsome and vulgar asset – didn’t seem to translate so well. Though the diehards at the front bounced around like enraged hardcore kids during opening cuts like “Blade” and “20 Wave Caps,” which featured fellow OF member Domo Genesis, the crowd petered out past mid-tent.

That said, a six-song guest spot from Odd Future’s leader of sorts, Tyler, the Creator, fired up a few more reluctant peeps. The push of mosh-hungry bodies doubled as he tore through verses on new cuts “Rusty” and “Tamale” before letting Earl finish at the helm with his namesake track.